Sean “Diddy” Combs is asking prosecutors in a sex trafficking case to release the names of his accusers, according to Manhattan federal court documents.
Combs, 54, needs to know the identity of his accuser in preparation for his May 5 trial, his lawyers argued in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday.
Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He remains jailed pending trial.
“This case is unique, in part because so many people are suing Mr. Combs because of his celebrity status and wealth.” They claimed that this had been widely reported in the media.
“This has had far-reaching ramifications, resulting in a plethora of allegations by unidentified accusers ranging from false to completely absurd.”
They noted that six people filed a civil lawsuit against Combs on Monday, all anonymously. The lawyer leading these cases said at a recent press conference that he represents 120 accusers and that his office’s toll-free number receives thousands of calls a day. Combs’ team also pointed this out.
Lawyers for the Bad Boy Records founder said, “These charges follow more than a dozen previously filed and currently pending lawsuits, some of which have been discredited. “But only after irreparably damaging Mr. Combs’ character and reputation.” “These swirling allegations have caused a hysterical media frenzy and, if left unchecked, will irrevocably deprive Mr. Combs of his rights, if he has not already received a fair trial. I guess.”
Combs’ lawyers said they asked prosecutors to identify all of the government’s alleged victims because of the number of accusers and their anonymity. However, prosecutors “object to releasing the names of the alleged victims at this stage,” Combs’ team said.
Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy. Sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Transportation for engaging in prostitution. According to the indictment, Combs’ violence spanned decades, and the megastar “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his actions.” It is said that
With the help of his staff and colleagues, Combs used his vast business empire to form a “criminal enterprise” rife with verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse of women and “manipulate women.” “He then forced them to participate in highly organized sexual acts.” Activities with male commercial sex workers. ”
Combs is said to have controlled these women with drugs, influencing not only their finances but also their careers. Federal prosecutors say much of this abuse took place in so-called “freak-offs,” in which Combs “arranged and supervised, during which he masturbated and often carefully staged electronically recorded sexual performances.” ” he claimed.
In some cases, these “extraordinary situations” continued for several days. After the investigation, Combs and his accusers were “usually placed on IV fluids to recover from physical labor and drug use,” prosecutors said.
The indictment was apparently referring to Cassandra “Kathy” Ventura’s allegations against Combs in a Nov. 16, 2023, civil lawsuit. She appears to be “Victim-1” in the document. Ventura settled her lawsuit the next day, claiming Combs sexually assaulted and abused her during their relationship.
Combs’ team points to the language used by prosecutors to press for the identity of the accuser. They said it was too broad and “could be interpreted as treating Mr. Combs’ entire sexual history over the past 16 years as part of a criminal conspiracy.”
“Without clear explanations from the government, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on for prosecution purposes. In addition to Victim-1, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on for prosecution purposes. “There is no way to determine who the alleged perpetrator is,” they wrote.
They also stated that “both the number of potential alleged victims and the time period alleged in the indictment weigh in favor of revealing the accuser.”
“Furthermore, to the extent that Mr. Combs is required to defend against criminal charges that the government will not prove at trial, he has a right to know.” Without knowing his identity, “the government is unfairly forcing him into a guessing game. Unsubstantiated claims that desperate plaintiffs are pursuing him (mostly anonymously) with civil lawsuits.” The situation has been made even more difficult by the onslaught of “designed to reap rewards from Mr. Combs and others.” ”
Combs will likely never be able to uncover the anonymous accuser’s identity because there is so much evidence and it will likely take a long time to provide it.
“Mr. Combs also expects the discovery to include a large amount of evidence of consensual sex, and that, years later, Mr. Combs claims that none of his previous sexual partners felt coerced. It has become even more difficult to ascertain whether the
The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. When asked for comment, Combs’ legal team directed questions to the application.
